A World Full of ­Winter Stories: 50 Folk Tales and Legends from Around the World

Gr 1-5–This more than delivers on the promise of its title, as it assembles 50 myths, legends, and tall tales into one packed collection. The span is truly global, although generally showing preference to cultures where snow and cold mark the wintertime. While the volume doesn’t provide additional context to frame the stories in their particular originating cultures, plenty of unique cultural details come through from the illustrations and the language. For those who want to dig deeper, a bibliography provides source material for each legend (if available). Considering how short the stories are and how straightforward the language is, each entry feels satisfyingly complete. These bite-size tales clip along energetically, while Baumert’s rich, friendly paintings balance their economy with vibrant folk charm. The selections are cheerful and pleasant—no winter dreariness to be found here! Instead, the winter season is shown to be teeming with life, magic, and wonder.